North Dakota State University
NDSU Extension Service
June 2003
Gary Moran, Associate Professor Emeritus
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Preface
Introduction: The NDSU Extension Service in 2004
Extension to the 21st Century: The Leadership
Restructuring Extension - County Organization
Restructuting Extension - Integrating Specialists with Academic Departments
Responding to Disasters
Adopting and Using Technology
Making an Impact
NDSU Extension Service Employees (88KB)
During the NDSU Extension Service fall conference in 2002, at a noon luncheon meeting of Epsilon Sigma Phi, Director Sharon Anderson asked me if I would be interested in doing an update of the organization's history. As a retired editor, amateur historian and proud veteran of over three decades in extension work, I was delighted to take the job.
This document is intended to be a supplement to Hired Hands and Volunteers: A History of the North Dakota State University Extension Service by Stanley W. Bale. Bale's book tells the story of extension work in North Dakota from its beginnings to roughly 1985. It was published in 1989. The supplement continues the story from 1985 to 2003, with some overlap. This author made no attempt to emulate Stan's unique style, so the current effort is very different from the original.
In his foreword, Stan alluded to his and earlier efforts to produce a written history of the extension service and the fact that absence of endnotes and a bibliography prevent them from being called a "history" in the true sense of the word. That has not changed with the current author. This is in no way a "scholarly" work. I have attempted to identify sources within the text, especially when referring to items from the news media. But much -- perhaps most -- of the information comes from unpublished material from extension service file drawers. Some comes from interviews and conversations with people involved, including the author's own memory. Memory is certainly fallible, but I have done my best to corroborate facts from my own and others' recollections.
This is obviously not the "whole" story of extension from 1985 to 2003. Anyone involved during that period can list valuable efforts and programs that receive little or no mention. It is an attempt to tell about the significant events and people that shaped extension and provide some examples of extension's efforts during those years.
My thanks to everyone who helped me with this project: Sharon Anderson for offering me the opportunity and providing information and insights; those who shared their time (and some old file folders) to personally tell me their stories, including Myron Johnsrud, Darnell Lundstrom, Duane Berglund, Duane Hauck, Jay Fisher and others; and Lori Lymburner for her time and patience.
Gary Moran
The official birth of the organization now called the NDSU Extension Service dates to 1914, when passage of the Smith-Lever Act created the Cooperative Extension Service and made funds available for state extension efforts. Thomas P. Cooper, director of the North Dakota Better Farming Association, was named the first director of the North Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, headquartered at North Dakota Agricultural College. He was also appointed director of the Agricultural Experiment Station.
However, extension-type outreach activities had been ongoing at NDAC almost since its establishment in 1890. David Danbom, in his history of the Agricultural Experiment Station, says, "In addition to the multifaceted job of organizing and defining the work, the Station also faced the task of popularizing it."1
Under the leadership of Horace E. Stockbridge, president of NDAC and experiment station director, this popularization included the setting of the research agenda, initially emphasizing applied rather than basic research, and providing service to the residents of the state in such things as soil and water testing, identifying weeds and insects, testing seed for germination, and "...any and all directions wherein the application of science may be expected to facilitate or aid practice."
In addition, farmers institutes provided educational outreach programs throughout the state.
County agent work predated the Smith-Lever Act with establishment of the Better Farming Association in 1911. The first agent appointed was M.B. Johnson, in Bottineau County, in January 1912. Twelve counties had Better Farming agents in 1914, when the newly formed extension service assumed the role.
In the first decade of the 21st Century, much has changed, but much remains the same. In a "White Paper" prepared in January 2000, Director Sharon Anderson said:
The North Dakota State University Extension Service exists to serve the people of North Dakota. The Cooperative Extension System was established in 1914 to address through education critical needs of the public in the areas of agriculture, family and youth. The work of the Extension Service continues to be extremely important to producers, families, community leaders and young people. Extension maintains a unique relationship among federal, state and county constituents. Local input into programs, combined with support and funding from state and federal partners, enables the Extension Service to truly meet the needs of people.
To fulfill its mission, "To create learning partnerships that help adults and youth enhance their lives and communities," the NDSU Extension Service provides planned programs, responsive programs and programs to address community issues as they arise.
Planned programs are developed with an ongoing program planning process, typically involving discussions with advisory councils, program planning team meetings, program development and program implementation. Extension forms partnerships with groups and individuals to identify issues and deliver programs.
At this time eight program planning teams consisting of county, area and state extension staff plus researchers at the NDSU campus and the Research Extension Centers and often clientele and members of other agencies guide program development. The teams are:
Responsive programs are those that address urgent situations, such as excessive rain, hail, tornadoes, floods, drought, serious financial problems or other health, environmental or economic issues. Urgent situations often require that extension staff respond with little preparation time.
Community issues often involve public issues that have many viewpoints and no simple answers. The role of extension is to provide accurate information about all sides of issues and help lead communities through a process that can bring about resolution.
Delivering programs is as important as developing them. People seek information in many ways and in many places, and want it in a form that is right for them. Each program must be made available in multiple ways, and staff need to be trained to use a variety of delivery methods. A strong county-based extension network is traditionally the main avenue for program delivery. Today extension agents also provide programs on a multicounty basis, as each agent specializes in a program emphasis area and delivers programs in that area within their multicounty program unit (MPU).
County staff members are located in 52 county offices and at the Fort Berthold reservation. In most cases half of their salary is paid by the county partner. Applicants for county positions are required to have a bachelor's degree and preference is given to those with master's degrees. Also located in county offices and on reservations are paraprofessionals delivering the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Family Nutrition Program (FNP). These programs are funded through USDA with matching county support.
Area staff are located at the Dickinson, Williston, North Central (Minot) and Carrington Research Extension Centers. Other area staff are located in county offices, and some work out of an area office. Most area staff have master's or doctoral degrees, providing a higher level of skill and knowledge to add to programs developed by county staff and extend the expertise of state specialists.
State specialists are located on the NDSU campus and may have joint appointments with the Agricultural Experiment Station, the College of Agriculture or the College of Human Development and Education. Some extension specialists are not in faculty positions but focus on specific programs such as pesticides, farm safety, EFNEP, FNP and 4-H and may not require a doctoral degree.
Support staff help deliver information to the public through the office environment, usually serving as the first point of contact to NDSU for office callers and visitors. Technical staff help prepare and deliver educational materials through print, audio, video, graphic and computer technology.
Funding of the NDSU Extension Service has traditionally been a blend of federal, state and county dollars. In the early 21st Century, federal dollars comprise about 23 percent of the budget. Nearly 44 percent of extension resources come from the state legislature, and county commissioners support about 20 percent of the extension budget by paying half of their agents' salaries as well as operating expenses for county offices. Grants, contracts and partnerships provide the remainder of extension funding and are increasing in importance.
1Danbom, David B., "`Our Purpose is to Serve' The First Century of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station" (Fargo, North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies, 1990, p. 19)
Extension to the 21st Century, June 2005
NDSU Extension Service, North Dakota State University of Agriculture
and Applied Science, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Duane Hauck,
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